Posts filed under 'Film'

I found this great article about the making of Two Lane Blacktop while searching the web for information about Warren Oats. The ‘70s was such a golden age of Hollywood filmmaking. I think major studios were freaking-out in the late ‘60s because they weren’t making films that would appeal to the counter cultural generation, so they hired all these young directors in hopes of catering to hippie kids (who probably didn’t have all that much money to spend anyway). Hollywood eventually realized their folly after the success of Star Wars and Jaws and focused on blockbuster pictures by the late ‘70s, but movies like Two Lane Blacktop remind of us of how things could have been.

No, I’m not abandoning super 8, just thought I might try my hand at 16mm. I wanted a Bolex H16, but couldn’t find any in my price range on eBay. After reading positive things about the Filmo on this site, I decided to go for a Bell and Howell 70DR. Jeff Jones calls this camera “the bowling ball”.

Jack Honeycutt was kind enough to supply some outdated Ektachrome reversal film, so I’m looking forwarded to shooting a test roll this spring. Anyone have suggestions for a test shoot?

UPDATE (2010): The 70DR was stolen from my downtown Portland office about two years ago. I tried replacing it with a Bolex, but I just didn’t bond with that camera. I will get back into 16mm at some point, but for now I’m just borrowing Tony’s Bolex when I need it.